#it's been a WHILE since i've done a text-based update on this story so i apologize if the tone is off at all | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

faulty-writes · 1 year

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[ I have no excuse for why I made this other than since I lost my cat I've been going to a cat cafe so I figured, fuck it...make a cat cafe story featuring Tenya. Also, I've been rewatching Bee and Puppycat so the reader's personality is based on Bee. I'm trying to get back into updating my blog so thank you all for your patience. ]

[ Thanks to Mei Hatsume, you scored a date with the president of Class A. Of course, you always found him interesting, and you have the perfect idea of what to do for your date. Unfortunately, Tenya doesn't seem to be as thrilled as you are. ]

"I'm afraid I do not see the potential or thrill in participating in such an activity," he stated, lowering his phone to look at you. Yes, it was rude to be staring at one's phone when having a conversation. But you had just texted him the link that held the information regarding where you wanted to go on your date.

"Aw come on!" you whined, stomping your foot like a child which made him frown. Honestly, he wasn't entirely certain why he had agreed to go on a "date" with you or rather, why he had allowed Mei Hatsume to convince him to go on a date with you.

Granted he knew your close relationship with her and the tendency the two of you had to create rather destructive pieces of support gear. Still, he supposed that Hatsume had quite an interesting way of persuasion and he found himself unable to refuse. Yet, he did not find the idea of going to a "cat cafe" fitting for a date.

While he had nothing against animals, he dreaded the idea of getting cat hair on his clothing and or in his food or drink. 'I suppose I have no choice,' he thought sighing. 'Even if Y/n has the tendency to act like a child, they hold great skill over their craft and I suppose I have not done an accurate job as class president,' he thought.

'Yes...I should extend Class A's friendly nature toward other students, and other departments even, for that is what a true hero would do! Bring others together no matter what their differences!" He looked at you, noting your frown and slightly misted-over eyes.

"Very well," he said, crossing his arms. "Really!?" you squeaked out, smiling. Tenya said nothing, only nodded in response which made you giggle. "I knew you liked me enough to go there!" you responded, folding your hands behind your back, and swaying on the tips of your toes.

Your eyes scanned Tenya from head to toe, despite the fact his body appeared stiff, he was dressed rather nicely. He was wearing a white shirt with a blue long-sleeved button-up shirt over it and his jeans were matched nicely with black sneakers.

"I'll ensure that we have the proper transportation to this...cafe," he stated, completely ignoring your earlier comment as he tapped his finger against his phone. But your smile remained because you knew you were right.

Tenya was...strange, but that's part of the reason you liked him. "Forgive me, would you prefer to take the bus or a private form of transportation?" His question made your smile grow, and somehow, he felt there were sinister intentions behind it.

He was by no means spoiled. Yet, he would have preferred private transportation as opposed to a noisy, rather overcrowded one. It baffled him why someone would choose to take the bus over a compact vehicle. "Mm..." he turned his head when he felt your hands tighten around his arm.

He would have normally scolded you for the way you so tenderly nuzzled the side of your face against his shoulder. Instead, he took a breath through his nose and resisted the urge to sigh. Then he turned to glance out the window, watching as the world zoomed by in a blur.

It reminded him of when he used his quirk and oddly enough made him feel relaxed. 'It's only a short ride,' he reminded himself. The look on your face when you finally stepped off the bus and made your way to the cafe was one that Tenya was familiar with, that certain look of happiness and joy.

It was the same expression he hoped to make others feel through his heroic actions. But there was something different about your happiness, it was almost childlike and worry-free. "Yay!" you said, giggling as you clapped your hands.

He focused his gaze on you for a few moments before looking at the "cat cafe" you seemed to favor. It looked rather small and made from wood, which resembled more of a cabin than an actual business. It had a red roof with a matching door and the strangest-looking cat statue standing near it.

The statue was colored white and looked to be carved out of marble with a rather unsettling smile on its face. It was positioned next to a blackboard and Tenya reached up, adjusting his glasses to get a better look at what was scribbled across it.

"Mm..." he frowned, somewhat irritated at the individual who wrote on it considering it was illegible. He turned, focusing his attention on the building once more and the one display window it had. He noted the sleeping felines that were pressed up against the interior side. "Let's go!" you cried, startling him in the process.

But he barely had the time to scold you considering you proceeded to drag him through the front door. He could hear a bell ring as the two of you stepped inside and immediately noticed a hallway with two doors. One led to the cafe where you could order food and drink and the other, he assumed, was where the cats were.

"You're going to love it here! The food is kind of eh, but it all goes to support the cats!" you informed him, although more than likely he already knew that. "So, what do feel like having?" you asked, after you had dragged him into the cafe.

The smell of burnt coffee and overcooked eggs filled his nostrils and he swallowed hard, suppressing a dry heave. It was a little overbearing to believe that someone was that neglectful with their cooking. This was a business, a silly one at that, but still very much expected to present itself professionally.

He turned to you, raising one of his unusual eyebrows. "Are you most certain this is the ideal location for our date?" he asked, watching you stare at him dumbfounded. "Of course, it is!" you replied, what prompted him to ask such a question?

"Oh, I forgot to mention you can order a hot latte and ask for a kitty on top!" Tenya knitted his eyebrows. "A kitty on top?" he repeated, clearly uncertain of what you meant. "Mmhm!" you responded with a nod. "They make a kitty using the foam on top of the coffee or whatever," you said, waving him off.

"I don't like lattes, but they taste good with a kitty on top," you said, once again confusing Tenya. "Pardon, but if one has a certain disdain for something they should not force themselves to consume it!" he urged, chopping his hand madly through the air.

"You are liable to cause yourself to grow ill that way-" It wasn't uncommon for others to ignore him when he got like this, but somehow the way you bluntly ignored him and walked up to the counter and started ordering made him a little more irritated than normal.

"Pardon!" he said, walking up behind you with his hand chopping right above your head. "Oh, and um..." you tapped your lips, looking over the menu to decide what else you wanted, and turned to look at Tenya who paused and glanced back at you with uncertainty.

"Oh Iida," you said as if what he was doing was normal. "Did you want something too?" he blinked, somewhat baffled by your question. He slowly retracted his arm and clasped his chin in thought, he hadn't anticipated ordering anything.

Then again, it would be rather rude not to assist a local business. "Oh, I didn't mention this earlier, but I forgot my wallet so you're going to have to pay," his body jolted, and he looked at you with a heated expression. Granted he was going to insist on paying simply because that was the correct and moral thing to do.

The gentleman should always pay, but he couldn't resist the urge to inform you of the wrongs you committed yet again. "Are you not aware of the dangers of leaving your wallet behind? It contains a various amount of information regarding-" his voice was drowned out when you turned to the cashier, twiddling your thumbs.

"Make that another hot latte with a kitty on top and he'll have a sandwich too, not sure what kind he likes just whatever you have is good," you said with a shrug before Tenya screamed "Excuse me!?" from over your shoulder.

You hummed softly, happily drinking your latte while your feet swayed underneath the table. Tenya was sitting across from you. His body was stiff, and he was trying his best not to flinch whenever one of the cats came to rub itself against his leg.

He also tried to ignore the fact that cat hair was floating through the air making his appetite lessen. "Is something wrong?" you asked. "You're not eating or drinking, but if you don't want your latte or sandwich, I'll take them. I don't care if you've already bitten or taken a sip," you explained only to hear Tenya sigh in response.

"The food and beverage are not the issues," he replied, crossing his arms. "I'm afraid I do not favor the...cleanliness of this establishment nor the feline that is continuously brushing against and scratching at the back of my legs," you blinked, tilting your head to one side before placing your hands on the table and looking underneath it.

"Oh yeah," you said, smiling as you watched the feline rub against Tenya's leg yet again. "He's one of my favorites," you commented, leaning up once more. "So don't make fun of him," you added crossing your arms.

He stiffened once again. "I...I do not believe I was-" A surprised yelp came when the cat jumped onto his lap. You smiled, watching your favorite feline turn and lock eyes with him. Tenya blinked in response, opening his mouth to speak before the feline's paw contacted his face and knocked his glasses off.

You chuckled, "See? He likes you!" Tenya clenched his jaw and immediately stood up, forcing the feline off his lap. "Do you find this amusing!?" he demanded, ignoring the small scratch he now had on the right side of his cheek.

"Hm?" you blinked in response to his words and glanced away. "Well part of me does," you admitted, "but other parts are confused," Tenya raised his eyebrow in response to your words. "I'm afraid I do not understand," he responded, although you knew from experience simple things tended to go over his head.

"Perhaps we need to discuss how to properly regulate your emotions," he stated, leaning over to pick up his glasses. "Regulate my emotions?" you repeated, tilting your head to one side while Tenya adjusted his glasses and proceeded to narrow his eyes at you.

He knew you were brilliant, at least when it came to crafting support gear but like him, you seemed to lack knowing how to properly engage in social interaction. While it was his duty as a hero to help others when needed, emotions and social interaction were somewhat personal, and he could not rightfully tell you what to do.

Still, he found you confusing and childlike, and yet, that was somehow charming at the same time. It drew him to you, and made him wish to help you but did you truly need help or simply guidance? It was a thin line, and he was unsure if he wanted to cross it.

"Perhaps we should take our leave," he stated, taking his latte over to the trash. He had only taken one sip, and while he hated the idea of wasting it, he could see the pieces of cat hair that stuck to the opening of the lid. More than likely said hair got into his drink making it inedible.

"Hm?" you knitted your eyebrows, watching as he threw away his drink and placed your hands on your hips. "I said I'd drink that if you didn't want it," you reminded him. "I'm afraid that 'latte' was inedible," he replied, turning to look at you.

"Why? A little cat hair never hurts you know!" you shouted as he walked past you and toward the exit. "I believe it would be best if we departed now," he said, using that all-too-familiar stern tone. "What? But we just got here!" you whined, making him frown.

Was he being too harsh? He knew it was rude to refuse to continue an activity that brought another joy, and he understood this may make him look like the villain. But he simply could not fathom why one would insist on having a date in a location that clearly did not practice cleanliness.

He stared at you for a long moment before reaching into his pocket for his phone and briefly glancing at the screen. "Very well," he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket. "I suppose we have spare time," he grew slightly confused when your face lit up.

"Really!?" you squealed, happily stomping your feet against the floor before rushing over and embracing him in a hug. You ignored how his body stiffened at the unfamiliar contact, but in a way that made you want to squeeze him even more.

"Thank you, Iida!" you said after nuzzling your face into his chest. "You won't regret it!" He narrowed his eyes but said nothing, only nodded in response. Perhaps it was better to remain quiet in situations like this as there seemed to be a rather odd gap between you and him when it came to understanding one another.

Or so he assumed. You were somewhat of a mystery to him, and perhaps he was a mystery to you. "Come on, I'll show you another one of my favorite kitties!" You didn't think twice about reaching down to grab his hand, and his eyes widened at the strange sensation coursing through his body because of your touch.

Your hand was warm and caused his skin to tingle even as you dragged him over to one of the beds that stuck to the glass display window. Oddly enough, his heart rate increased slightly when you turned and smiled at him causing the oddest warmth to rush through his cheeks.

Was this why you were so different and mysterious? You treated everyone as if you knew them personally and while you paid no mind to personal space, your actions were that of kindness. Perhaps you too had a hero's heart, and you weren't aware of it.

Still, he knew he couldn't let himself get too lost in thought especially because you began speaking when you reached the window and picked up the cat that was currently laying down in the bed. You began to tell him the cat's name and its personality, how you had bonded with him since visiting the cafe months and months ago.

Oddly, he found himself beginning to smile. You were rather informative when you chose to be, and it was charming. However, he continued to keep track of the time and when an hour passed and you had finished introducing him to a few more favorites of yours, he once again insisted the two of you leave.

Although you weren't sure what you were expecting out of this date, you assumed Tenya would at least stop for dessert or another bite to eat. This did not happen, but he was kind enough to walk you to the door of your dormitory building.

"I'm afraid that my opinion is rather firm in disapproving of a date, or romantic time spent together taking place in a 'cat cafe' as it's a rather inappropriate setting," he explained continuing to chop his hand through the air.

While you were somewhat sour about his opinion, you couldn't help but notice how the outside light reflected off the lenses of his glasses and how he looked rather handsome in the semi-darkness of the night. "Hm..." you hummed in response, letting your eyes trace along his cheek where you noticed that small scratch from earlier.

It looked less irritated, but you stepped forward, invading his space without care. His eyes widened and his lips were slightly curved as he looked down at you much like a child would. You took another step closer and cupped his cheek, noting that it felt slightly warm against your palm.

Your thumb slowly grazed his cheek, feeling the slight indent of the scratch. "Mm...I almost forgot about that scratch," you said, and his eyes softened. "Oh...I see," he glanced away, trying his best to ignore the urge to step back as he knew that would be rude.

His scratch slightly burned when you touched it, but he ignored the slight discomfort. However, he completely forgot about it when you closed the small amount of space between the two of you and pressed your chest against his. "P-pardon!" he exclaimed with bright rosy cheeks.

You ignored him and got onto your tippy toes and ever so gently leaned forward, pressing your lips against that scratch in a tender kiss. "There," you said before leaning away from Tenya who despite having a red face, also had knitted eyebrows.

"I..." he cleared his throat, trying to regain his composure. "I do not understand why you-" a snicker interrupted him, and you looked at him with a smile before folding your hands behind your back. "Your mother never kissed your boo boo's better as a kid?" you questioned continuing to snicker.

"I...I am afraid I do not understand the logic behind such an action, wounds heal on their own or through medical intervention. It would be unethical to-" You held your hand up, walking past him to open the door. "Well thanks, Iida!" you said cheerfully before stepping inside, somewhat eager to tell Mei how your date went.

Tenya's jaw hung open, and his stare remained on the now-closed door. He was in slight disbelief as to how this 'date' ended with you. 'Perhaps I was too intimidating,' he thought, feeling the smallest amount of guilt fill him before he forced himself to turn away.

He felt some relief when he returned to his own dormitory building, but a sigh left him when he stepped through the door which caught the attention of his friends, Uraraka and Izuku who just so happened to be sitting in the living room.

"I-Iida?" Izuku looked over from his position on the couch. "We were wondering where you went!" Uraraka said, springing to her feet. Tenya stopped and turned his head. "Oh, I apologize," he said, feeling more guilt spread through his heart. He hated making others worry about him.

"Y-you don't have to-" Izuku paused and stood up. He knew that it wasn't exactly worth arguing with Tenya seeing as he was set in his ways. So instead, he walked past Uraraka and toward the other male. "Um, s-someone told us Y/n asked you out on a date?" he inquired, hoping he wasn't overstepping his boundaries.

Tenya pressed his lips together but nodded. "Yes, Hatsume convinced me," he explained briefly and Uraraka's eyes lit up. "Really!? How was it? Y/n is super friendly, and they make amazing things just like Hatsume, right?" she said, smiling at Izuku who blushed in response and nodded frantically.

"They are...quite interesting," Tenya responded. "Where did you go on your date!?" Uraraka asked excitedly, taking a step toward him. "I believe it's called a cat cafe," he replied and Izuku knitted his eyebrows together.

"C-cat cafe?" he repeated, "I didn't know you...l-liked that sort of thing I-Iida," although it made sense. Cats were independent and clean, but as far as he could remember Tenya didn't speak of any favoritism toward any animal.

"I...I am not certain if I would return to that place of business," he replied, but his voice was laced with confusion. Uraraka frowned and tilted her head to one side. "Did the date go wrong?" she asked with the innocence of a child.

Tenya frowned and grasped his chin. "I...am not quite sure how to respond to your inquiry," he didn't dislike the date, yet at the same time he was not certain if he'd want to go on another date with you. Overall, his date with you was pleasant and you did make him experience a feeling he was unfamiliar with.

Whether that was a good or bad sign was still unknown to him, yet he wouldn't mind continuing to get to know you. "What do you mean? Do you like Y/n or not?" Uraraka asked, almost sounding offended by Tenya's previous response.

"I believe Y/n is rather childish but admirable, and perhaps if I was given the chance, I would favor getting to know them more," he said with a sigh, hoping this answer would satisfy her. "Well...if you really like them...I t-think you two would be good for each other," Izuku responded.

"Hm?" Tenya looked at him with slight surprise. "You would support our future relationship, whatever it may be?" he asked, mostly for confirmation. Izuku nodded, "I do too! After all, it would be useful to have connections to the Department of Support!" Uraraka added.

"Hm...I see," he said before taking a deep breath. "I believe I will begin my bedtime routine, please be aware it's past curfew and lights are strictly off at nine," he said before walking past his friends. His mind drifted to thoughts of you as he walked down the hallway to his bedroom.

He was slightly surprised by today's events and his stomach twisted at the thought of seeing you again. But knowing his friends approved of a possible relationship with you meant more than he wanted to admit and perhaps he would be lucky enough to be the one to initiate a date next time.

#tenya x you #iida x you #tenya x reader #tenya x y/n #iida x reader #iida x y/n #bnha x y/n #bnha x reader #bnha x you #faulty writes: tenya iida: 23 #faulty writes: tenya iida: one shot: 23

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insomniaccipher · 1 month

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EDIT (24/3): so um, I posted this way way too early. In my sleep deprived state I guess I posted it rather than save it as a draft, since it's clearly not done. I'm not going to private it, people have already seen it so expect this to be updated with the remaining notes. Sorry and thank you for understanding!

(tw for mention of depression and a depressive episode)

After a few days of me being absolutely fucking drained and progressively chipping away at this, and having a surprise d3pr3ssiv3 episode

(seriously though, don't do what I did and work yourself into a depressive episode. I'm okay now, but I should have rested before I crashed.)

And I can finally present the original sketches, notes (internal dialogue included) and with additional notes provided by present me.

Thank you to the few people who showed interest in my little character for being patient with me, I know I wasn't super loyal with the time frame and kept having issues arise but here it is. I apologise for not having a full illustration of them, It's one of those things that I have to be 100 percent satisfied with and right now, it's not there.

Thank you so so much again and I hope you like them, please feel free to critique them or ask questions but try to keep it polite please. Love you all!

Page 1 (left) - Bits and bobs

- Originally I was thinking of giving Arc moving tattoos. This was because I wanted them to have a more clear connection to ink since they would already be around it quite a lot also I imagine it would have been funny for Arc, who is a very calm and collected person, to be in a frustrating situation but can't express it so their tattoos just fucking loose it showing that they are fucking fuming but looks calm as can be.

After I decided on the hat with a veil however I decided to scrap the idea, or at least save it for a different character, as I realized the character would feel too busy and between the two ideas I liked the hat and veil more.

- There was a short-lived idea of them having blackout tattoos but after a bit of research I decided not to ask I wasn't sure if they had any cultural significance, so better safe than sorry.

- Arc, as stated in the notes, is seemingly always calm. That doesn't mean they can't feel frustrated, sad, embarrassed it just means they can keep their composure and level headed. They're like one of those people that if you upset them they'll walk out the room yell and throw shit and walk back in calm as can be.

- Their role has by now developed more than just being an archivist, as now I see them as just a general records keeper. They find and keep old records and text organised, while also writing down new information and such. I'm not changing their name though, cause honestly I've just grown attached to their nickname.

Page 2 (right) - the first note and ideas

- Weirdly enough, the very first idea I had for this character wasn't their story or personality: but their hat and veil. Yup. I just liked the idea of a character with a big halo hat and a veil hiding their face.

- There was another character at one point or they might have been the same, I don't exactly remember and the details between them were similar enough that it's possible that they were just the same character just with minor tweaks. But that character was more connected to the band (again as in the personas/characters they play, not the irl people) while Arc is more of a solo unit.

Mentioning this other character is relevant because, and this is purely based on memory, I think the whole reason they were reworked/scrapped/whatever-the-fuck I did with them was because a hat and veil wouldn't be practical on stage.

- Anyway whenever they do take the veil off, either for more delicate work or they have to be in public, they'll put on a basic mask that covers the majority of their lower face.

- A lot of stuff I see, so forgive me if it's not actually a popular concept, seems to make the band members some form of inhuman. Which I fucking love, however to be honest the inhuman stuff was always kind of going to be part of them no matter what, even if I hadn't chosen the hat and veil concept (See top bullet point for the moving tattoos concept).

#Sleep Token Oc #Sleep token #st #ramble #notes and more #thank you for your patience!#long post #tw depressing stuff #only at the start #tw depressive episode

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dethkomic · 2 years

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Hey lady, I hope this is where you wanted me! Now tell me every fine detail of how you make this comic!

Yes it certainly is and thennnnk you for coming over to the tumblrs and posting this question so I could post this answer! :)

I just love the vibrant discussions we get into here and on AO3 about how to do stuff and processes and tips and tricks, etc. etc. I've done a lot of sharing when it comes to how I get ideas for comics, but I guess I haven't shown you guys what my notebook looks like in the space between idea and finished comic. So here it is:

So, that text and the amazing thumbnail art next to it is how I often lay out the story treatments for each page. I think I've talked about getting a sense of "pacing" as you work on stuff, and how that's often a constant struggle between "I wanna get to this part and talk about it by itself for 14.5 pages", so this method allows me to work within the constraints of what feels natural for an audience to read while keeping myself in-check with the parts I really, actually want to write about. :)

In other words, I might write out a multi-paragraph scene in my notes that I really want to show you guys... Something like "Charles gets drunk and hits on Murderface", but intriguing as that idea is, I'm sure it might get old if I filled 22 pages of Dethkomic with just that (or maybe not? Maybe I should live a little). And indeed, when I look at the parts of the story that I want to cover in any given update, I'll notice I probably don't have the room to spend on that Charles/MF scene for as long as I'd like... so I pace it out!

I first try to break up the story into pages (3-5) per update, and then I sketch each page in a little thumbnail like what you see up there, to make sure stuff flows. By that I mean, I not only want it to read well, but I want to be sure there's enough space and consideration given to dialogue that needs to happen, like this panel:

I want to be sure that, if we've changed scenes and are in a new location, or the location has somehow BEEN changed, I put in an establishing shot, like this:

And if there's a joke, or something that comes in rapid-fire succession, I want to give that enough panels as necessary to pull it off:

So you can see, it's a lot of consideration for something as trivial as how much of a story actually ends up making it into the final drafts. If you guys let me write out every idea for Dethkomic I've had since I started it, despite the fact that it's already based off of a story I already wrote, it'd go on for years and never be finished. :)

So anyway, whether you're writing a comic or long-form prose, or a script, or whatever, I highly recommend writing everything out, breaking it down into parts, and breaking those parts out to pace. A lot of editors say a finished draft is often 20% shorter than the submitted manuscript. You often hear me say "I'd write a shorter story if I had the time." And this is what is meant by both of those things I guess.

Keep everything you can, though. Yes, simplify them on a different page, but don't just delete your notes. You never know when you'll gloss over an important detail you only managed to write out long-form on your initial concept. And those things will also help you to remember things that need resolving that you might be forgetting.

Anyway, hope this answer is useful to those of you who write! Great question and a thank you for moving it over here to my friend Rhea up there... and as always, Dethkomic loves you!

#dethkomic #comic writing #comic tips #writing tips #pacing tips #pickles eating the microphone still makes me laugh #answered

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kirbots-world · 5 months

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hey, Kirbot's mum here (Kirby hi hello) just wanted to let you know that this blog is still active and I'll be starting a Comic here soon!

Kirbot was first created when I amassed so many of screenshots from watching cartoons and old viddy game playthroughs, that I ran out of space on my phone. so. I made a Twitter Bot that would tweet them, as a way to share them.. and get them off my phone

I named her Kirbot (because I am so clever and smart) and doodled a character design based on a robot I made when I was a little apple, on some children's Robot Making Browser Game

unfortunately, for whatever reason the bot stopped working (I'm pretty sure the bot system thing I was using shut down/was deleted/whatever, so I cranked Kirbot into Manual and started tweeting myself. that's when the character of Kirbot started to take shape, and I fell in love with this weird robot.. and then I moved to Tumblr because there's more you can do with posts here and also Twitter SUCKS

it has been, A Year Or So Or More since I actually drew her last, so naturally, me redrawing her resulted in me redesigning her too, Because I Am Such A Cool And Consistent Artist. but rather than just update this blog's profile picture and be done with it, I wanted to make a little story explaining it!

I originally recorded Many Of Clips of gameplay footage that I was going to stitch together into my own video (with my own art included occasionally) but.. that became Increasingly Overwhelming, so, I was Then going to take said clips, make them Gifs, and then make a post Here with the Gifs as a weird Silent Story, but then I realised how long it's been since I've actually.. drawn comics, and since my future stories are more written now, doing a small comic on the side for a while sounds fun!

so, page by page I'll be posting a comic on here! drawn by me, including occasional game screenshots and even some photography by me too! it is a little story of Kirbot, and a wacky adventure she goes on! and how she dies

after the comic! Kirbot will then hopefully be posting something every Friday! whether it's some screenshots, art, or most likely even just a single emoji or nonsense text (gives me something to do and helps add Some sort of schedule/task to my life)

I hope that make sense! and I hope you look forward to/enjoy the comic I'm cooking up :-]

- Kirby Girl ⛄

#thank

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talpup · 1 year

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I just want to say first and foremost that I love your story! This is a really great AU premise that I feel doesn’t get seen a whole lot these days in most fics, especially not for fandoms like MHA. I love the way all the characters mythical forms match up with their cannon personalities so perfectly and the level of thought you’ve put into the world building really shows that you have an intense love of story telling and strong plots.

That being said though, I do have one piece of advice that I hope will be taken as constructive criticism, rather than just straight up criticism.

I feel like this fic could be greatly benefited by removing all of the glossary/index like chapters that info dump details about the world that should be naturally incorporated into the actual story. Rather than read about these topics and terms like we’re reading from a text book, we should be learning about them from the characters and their experiences instead. It could just be a me thing, but I personally felt that having to go through all of those really broke up the pacing of the story for me and while I pushed through because of just how invested I was in the story, I could imagine it might be a bit too much for someone else and they might not care or pay attention enough to read them and thus feel like they’re running into plot holes constantly if they only read the chapter chapters where this stuff isn’t as fully flesh-out enough.

Like I said, this totally isn’t meant to come off as anything but a reader trying to be constructive, but If my wording has in any way been rude or out of line, please feel free to point it out. I really love this story so far and just want to see it succeed and get the attention I think it deserves, because I don’t want to see it get discontinued.

Thanks for this! And no, I don't take this as "straight up criticism", it's helpful and therefore properly constructive. I know the 'info dump' is something that can put some readers off, but that's why I do my best to keep them short. While I totally agree that integrating the info into the fic would be best, like I said in the 1st 'Oblvi Facts', 'Lost Song' is part of a continuation of an original series based in the world of Oblvi (I've written three previous original fics set in this world, so there's a LOT of history and such). The 'Oblvi Facts' are things that I took the time to properly integrate into those original fics; they're not things I've just come up with for this fic and put in the 'Facts'. And though I know no one but me have read those original fics, it's still something I've done my best to seamlessly fit into a previous fic and don't want to have to go over again; so I did those 'Facts' as a sort of "compromise" so readers would better understand what's going on. I'm sorry to say that even if the joints in my hands weren't a degenerating mess that made writing a literal pain, I likely still wouldn't bother trying to fit those 'Facts' into the fic. I'm a bit of a lazy writer, and since I write first and foremost for my own enjoyment, I doubt that I would get that much enjoyment in trying to fit info that I've already integrated and gone over in another fic.

I do understand that when bingeing 'Lost Song' the 'Oblvi Facts' can take a reader out of the story; and that even some of those that read whenever the fic is updated will ignore the 'Facts' and then feel lost or that there's plot holes. And, I am sorry for that, truly. But I hope you can also see where I'm coming from. Having to integrate something I've already worked to integrate (albeit in another fic) isn't fun; more than that it takes time and energy (time and energy that are limited because of my health). And then you add my serious consideration of ceasing to share my work because the lack of interaction isn't worth the time and effort I spend polishing and editing to post... Well, I think you can then see why I'll be leaving the 'Facts' as they are.

That said, there might not be anymore 'Facts' because there might not be another update. Other than my friend @inorganicone2230 only one person has commented on the update so far. I know it's still early (me posting the chapter on Thursday), and I will give it 3-4 weeks; but I meant what I said, and it just may be that the next thing I post for all my fics is a courtesy, "I'm out".

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and trying to help make my posted work better for readers, it is truly appreciated.

#ls asks

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doorbloggr · 3 years

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Friday 1/10/21 - Media Recommendations #20

Contents: Deltarune

I'd been meaning to get to this one for ages, so once again, I think to make it easier on myself, and my readers, today I am only recommending the latest videogame creation of Toby Fox. This ended up being quite an extensive article, so I split it into sections:

MY CONTEXT

OVERVIEW/PREMISE

GAMEPLAY

PRESENTATION

CONCLUSION

Deltarune (Chapter 1+2)

Toby Fox

1. MY CONTEXT

So context for my own gaming experience going into Deltarune, I have never actually played Undertale. Back when Undertale was getting big, it was only a PC game I think, and I just don't play games on PC. I probably should but yeah nah. Soon after it got popular however, I watched a comprehensive Lets Play of Undertale by Rubber Ross and Barry Kramer, and their voices for Sans and Papyrus are still to this day how I imagine those characters. Through that Lets Play, I experienced both the Pacifist and Genocide runs, and got intimately well acquainted with the characters and world Toby Fox had created, and how the actions of the player can shape how we save or ruin that world.

As a general context, I have always been a person who likes the idea of turn-based, random encounter fantasy RPGs, but the deepest I really got was Pokémon. I've been trying to change that recently, and after beating Monster Hunter Stories 2 a while back, I wanted to try more of the genre. Turn based battles are a lot more my speed than pure skill, like fighting games I've become sick of, and RPGs seem to be big on story, so when I heard the Deltarune demo had an update, I thought this is finally the time to jump into that world.

Going forward in this review, I'm gonna try and stay broad and unspecific with my descriptions, so as to not spoil. I may discuss some gameplay themes and characters, but I'm avoiding giving specifics away. I really think you need to experience all parts of the game yourself first.

Minor Spoilers for Undertale and Deltarune Ahead

2. OVERVIEW/PREMISE

Deltarune is a project of love. Pure charm and personality ooze from every aspect of the game. Dialogue is clever and snarky, and that charm even leaks into item and location flavour text. The setting and themes are fun, but with a bloodstained silver lining that is best appreciated by mature audiences. I guess I should just explain the premise?

Deltarune puts you in the shoes of a human named Kris. For unexplained reasons you live in a world of monsters and you are the only human. And by monsters, I mean curious looking critters of a variety of shapes and sizes, since, there is really nothing monstrous about them. One day at school, Kris and classmate Susie end up being transported to a whole different world where dark fountains construct monstrous subworlds, and it is up to the chosen ones, the lightners Susie, Kris and darkner (dark world native) Prince Ralsei, to seal the evils of this dark alternate world.

Deltarune is still a work in progress, and as the subtitle of this article suggests, 2 Chapters of a possible 7(?) have been released, and it is unknown at the time of writing if the rest will come out when the game is done, or as more standalone chapters.

3. GAMEPLAY

Deltarune borrows a lot of theming and game loop premise from its parent game Undertale. The tag line of Undertale was: the RPG where noone has to die. This is because the encounter based battle system is built on two courses of action to take. You may FIGHT enemies and reduce their HP to zero, or you may ACT, and talk the enemy into leaving the battle. Deltarune is built on this same system, but with extra layers. Kris is the stand in for the Undertale MC, who has the options to FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, SPARE, or GUARD. Most of those options were in Undertale too, but Guarding is a new addition where you earn Tension Points, or TP, for not engaging the enemy at all.

This TP is used for extra powerful ACT actions, or for special moves of the other party members. This is the main big difference in gameplay loop. Since the player controls a party now rather than just one person, each party member can specialise in different action types. Kris's ACT can incorporate input from other party members; Susie for toughness and Ralsei for softness, in general. Susie is the powerhouse, and if you chose the violent route, she does more damage. Ralsei is the Mage, and can heal allies, as well as use magic to resolve fights peacefully. Those extra abilities use TP.

In most turn based RPGs, there is a back and forth, where the player chooses actions, and sometimes there is a timing aspect to how well those actions perform, and then there's the enemy's turn, where most of the time you just have to wait and let it happen. Undertale and Deltarune have this truly unique system where the soul of the party members, represented by a heart, is directly controlled on the enemy's turn. It's a mini game unique to every enemy type, where you must move the heart around to dodge their attacks, and how good you dodge will decide whether you take a lot of damage, or even none at all. Deltarune adds an extra layer onto this, where if you make the dodge closer, so that the enemy only JUST misses, you earn TP, and open up more options for your next turn. I found this extra detail really endearing, and I made a lot more riskier moves than if there was no incentive to.

I probably mentioned it above, but just to close out this section, the option to either ACT or FIGHT opens up two types of play. Chapter 1, being a sort of intro part, does not differentiate, but the distinction becomes important later. ACTing to SPARE an enemy earns you money, and in Chapter 2, will lead to befriending monsters. FIGHTing will also earn you EXP in Chapter 2, making your options to hurt enemies more powerful. In Undertale, this difference in playstyle actually changed the ending in real time, and from what we know of Deltarune, it is likely going to be the same case.

4. PRESENTATION

Undertale had this unique visual charm to it that may have been a limitation of its Independent Development, but it was probably also a stylistic choice. Deltarune builds on the same type of artstyle, adorable pixel sprite graphics that bring a lot more colour and depth than its predecessor.

Many, but not all characters have little character portraits in their textboxes, and they change expressions to match the situation, and its so cute.

Character and enemy design are so top-notch. A team of designers have been brought on this time, and every one of them have brought gold to the table. Every random battle encounter is dripping with personality, as you learn how best to sweet talk your way out of battle, or how to best destroy them. Most recurring NPCs are lovable, and those who you hate, you love to hate. Dialogue is witty and hilarious, and the writing is fun.

The chiptune style soundtrack is phenomenal. Although I think Undertale's common enemy battle them was more memorable, that may just be that I have become more familiar with it. All character and boss battle themes are so catchy and energetic. Toby Fox is a master of high energy... fun music. It gets stuck in your head, and your brain bounces around at high velocity.

5. CONCLUSION

Ok so this review is already like 3 times longer than a normal Media Recommendation Article, and like 5 times longer than I planned it to be for this one game, so I should probably wrap it up here. Deltarune is a game experience I put off playing for way too long, and now I can't hold my excitement for when the next part comes out. And important to keep in mind, it is essentially a demo, in that it is just a taste of what's to come, but it is a damn meaty demo that will keep you engaged for many hours.

Chapters 1 and 2 are packaged together as a free game on most game platforms at this point, so there's nothing really stopping you from giving it a try. I don't usually rate my recommendations, but since I wrote this more like a review, I might as well...

Deltarune Chapter 1+2: 9/10

Please play it!

#blog #blogpost #media recommendations #videogame recommendations #deltarune #undertale #tobyfox #deltarune spoilers #undertale spoilers

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unending-happiness · 4 years

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Hi, I've got a question out of nowhere! I was looking to re-read a story And When You Soar that was on my AO3 bookmark list and it's apparently not there anymore! I think it was your story? Can I ask what happened to it? If it's indeed the story I remember, I loved it!

Hi! Oh wow. It’s definitely my story! I’m smiling so big because you want to reread it. So…..as for what happened to it, I got a little overwhelmed with all my responsibilities in real life and how little time I had for writing. All my wips just felt like a heavy weight on my shoulders, because no matter how much I wanted to finish them I just didn’t think I’d ever have time. And I also felt so guilty about leaving them for so long without updates and letting readers down. So, I deleted all my wips from AO3 and vowed to only post them again when they were complete on my end (except for editing) and I could update them on a regular schedule. And When You Soar was supposed to be a relatively quick story, but then, as stories do, it took on a life of it’s own and there ended up being way more to it than I originally thought, so it got pulled too.

I’m actually in the middle of writing a long one-shot right now that’s fairly close to being sent to my beta. I don’t know what’s wrong with my writing brain right now, but I get huge bursts of inspiration for something new, then it fades, and rinse and repeat. Super unhelpful.

Now, the good news is, I’ve found myself at the very beginning of a period of being off work and quarantined at home because of this delightful pandemic we’re all experiencing, so I’m going to attack my wips with intensity and AWYS has a very good chance of getting finished soon and back up on ao3. Honestly, thank you so much for this ask because I wasn’t sure what wip from my list to work on after the one I’m finishing now, and you’ve made the decision easy for me. Thank you so much, lovely human! To hold you over until I post it again………

And When You Soar-Chapter 1

Alec ducked his head and stepped through the door and into the plane. He stopped when the elderly woman in front of him came to a standstill and looked around, transferring his suitcase to his other hand. He acknowledged the flight attendant standing to his left with his usual tight smile.

“Welcome aboard,” she greeted him, flashing him a bigger smile of her own.

“Thanks,” Alec answered her before his attention shifted to the open door just past her. A tall pilot standing just inside the flight cabin nodded at him and then turned his attention to who Alec assumed was his co-pilot. Always curious, Alec leaned to the side to see more of the other pilot, but his view into the small space was almost completely obstructed by the large man

“Sir,” the woman said to get his attention again.

He looked over at her and saw that she was motioning for him to move along into the cabin. He realized that the people in front of him had moved forward and he was holding up the line.

“Sorry,” he whispered, as if talking at a normal volume would cause further disturbance.

She just smiled at him sweetly again, and then turned her attention to whoever was behind him. Alec shifted his suitcase so that he could fit down the aisle, and focussed on finding his seat without taking out the tiny woman in front of him. He located his row near the back of the plane and saw that his seatmates hadn’t yet boarded, so he quickly stowed his bag in the overhead compartment and sat down in the aisle seat.

Normally, Alec loved being tall. He never needed a step stool, he had always been chosen first for basketball teams in high-school gym class, and he could see over everyone’s head in a crowd. It also made intimidating people fairly effortless, not that he would ever admit that out loud. Being tall was almost always a perk, but he found that flights were one of the few glaring exceptions.

He always sprang for first class when he had to be on a plane for more than a few hours, but his sister’s last-minute plans had him booking the only available seat on the only available flight that would fit into his demanding schedule. He barely had time to get a workout in and grab a quick shower before his Uber pulled up. He was feeling very lucky that he at least got an aisle seat, and even so, there simply wasn’t going to be a position that would make his legs happy. It was going to be a long night and his only hope would be to fall asleep, which was unlikely, as he found it especially difficult to do in crowded places.

He grabbed his phone and earbuds out of his backpack and put it under the seat in front of him, barely leaving enough room to squeeze his black Nikes in there. When he glanced back up, he could see that there was a young man and woman waiting patiently for him to get up so they could take the seats next to him. He quickly stood and moved to the side. The man eyed him up and down suspiciously and then quickly changed positions with who Alec could only assume was his girlfriend so that he would be sitting next to Alec instead of her. Alec barely contained an eye roll. Heterosexuals. He gave them plenty of space while they got settled and then gingerly lowered himself back into his seat, already regretting going so hard in the gym that morning as his thighs still protested from yesterday’s workout. He would feel it doubly tomorrow.

He went through the process of checking and returning messages on his phone. He handled a few work emails and then touched base with his family. He answered a text from Izzy.

Did you make your flight?

Barely

That’s the spirit. See you soon. 😘

If by “soon” you mean in 9 hours, then yes, that.

Grouchy…..You got stuck in economy again didn’t you? Such a diva.

Next time you come up with some grand scheme, I’m going to need you to think of my legs.

Promise, but I’m sure you could use your powers of persuasion to get yourself into first class. 😎😍

You’re confusing me with you, again

Oh, Alec. Try not to have too much fun.😂 We’ll pick you up at the airport.

Hey, I know how to have fun.

And by “we”, do you mean…..

Simon and I. I wouldn’t bring mom or dad. I’m not that mean.☹️

I have plenty of scars that suggest otherwise, but I’ll see you in 9 short hours.

Love you, big brother

Love you, too.

The perky flight attendant had started her safety speech, which was thankfully straight to the point and not one of those lame ones trying to make everyone laugh. Alec fastened his seatbelt across his black joggers and logged into the airline’s Wi-Fi. He put his phone on airplane mode as soon as he was connected. He glanced over at his seatmates to see the man was huddled up next to his companion and they were chatting quietly and giggling. He didn’t think he had to worry about them trying to talk to him, but he stuck a wireless earbud in that ear anyway just to be sure. He scanned the rest of the passengers within view of him and tried to settle comfortably in his seat when he decided that everything was as it should be.

The pilot he had seen when he boarded the plane came out a few moments later and did the standard pre-flight announcement. Captain Garroway had a deep and booming voice, so Alec clearly heard the weather and their destination all the way from his seat in the back of the plane.

He busied himself with scrolling through his playlist to distract himself during take off. He wasn’t a nervous flyer, but the knowledge that nearly all plane crashes happened during ascent and descent kept him from really relaxing until they were fully up in the air. Being out of control in any situation went against every fiber of his being, and he just had to work through it. He spread his legs a little, pushing his knees all the way against the seatback in front of him, praying that the person wouldn’t want to recline their seat. He crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

The plane had just hit cruise height, the most nerve wracking part over, and he was listening to a conversation between a mother and child in front of him when his phone buzzed in his lap.

Alec swiped down his notifications and pulled his eyebrows together when he saw what app the push notification had come from. Of all times to get a message from someone on Grindr, this one had to be the weirdest. He hadn’t even had an account for twenty-four hours yet, only having downloaded it late the night before out of boredom. His sister had joked recently that he needed to “Meet someone on Grindr or something to let off some steam”, and despite everything in his being telling him he wouldn’t be happy with such a thing, he had done it anyway. He wasn’t exactly sure why he had listened to her, because he had no interest in hooking up with a random guy just because he was within so many feet of him. There was actually someone he had something really casual with, but it had been a while since he’d seen him. So, he could probably chalk this horrible lapse in decision making up to being frustrated and horny. Still, he had no intention of using the app, not really.

He thought about dismissing the message without reading it, almost laughing at the thought of having sex with some random stranger in the tiny plane bathroom, when it hit him that the message actually had to be from someone currently on the plane with him. That thought had him sitting up straighter and looking around him as inconspicuous as possible. He didn’t see anyone staring at him, but still, like the truly paranoid person he was, he turned down the brightness on his screen so the people around him would be less likely to see what he was doing. Hesitantly, he opened the message.

It was from someone called “CoyNotCryptic” and the icon wasn’t a person, but instead was an aerial photo of a city he didn’t recognize. Oh-kayyy, that wasn’t going to tell him anything. He looked around the cabin again and then read the message.

I see you’re on my flight. Enjoy the ride to Rome.

Alec stared at the words in disbelief. What are the chances? He quickly tried to figure out who this mystery messenger could be. A fellow passenger? The app informed him that it was someone ninety feet away, which would have to be someone toward the front of the plane. A passenger in first class maybe? Alec looked up at the flight attendants suspiciously. Both were women and he didn’t see a third, but that didn’t necessarily mean there wasn’t another one there. First class sometimes had their own attendant. Thoroughly flustered, he turned off his screen and laid it face down in his lap again, still eyeing the people around him and the front of the cabin.

He made it an impressive five minutes before he unlocked his phone and pulled up the message thread. He clicked on the mystery person’s profile.

All he learned from that was that the guy was 3O ish years old, 5’11”, 175lbs, Bi, and Single. Seemed intriguing enough, but a picture definitely would have been extremely helpful. Fucking Grindr. This was why he didn’t want to mess with it in the first place. He wasn’t going to answer it. Absolutely not. What would he even say? What if the person was a total creep and it was a disaster for the entire eight-hour flight?

Just a few minutes later, bored and antsy, he decided that it was going to bother him if he didn’t at least find out who it was. Oh, what the hell , he thought, and typed out a message.

The chances of this happening have to be a million to one, right?

He tapped his foot nervously while he waited the fifteen seconds for an answer to come.

I’m not privy to the exact statistics, but it doesn’t happen very often, in my professional experience. Does this mean you’re one in a million?

Alec swallowed a laugh. The wording of the message made him feel more like it was someone working on the flight. That was probably less risky than a random passenger. More than a little intrigued, he typed a reply.

By that logic, you would be one in a million, also.

Oh, I definitely am.

How self-aware of you.

Self-aware and humble.

And….working right now??

Yes, although it doesn’t feel like work at the moment.

Because I’m distracting you?

Don’t get ahead of yourself. It could be the 40-ton jet I’m flying. -MB

Alec nearly dropped his damn phone and he was ninety percent sure he said, “No way,” out loud instead of in his head. The pilot!! The pilot was messaging him on Grindr. What the actual hell had Izzy gotten him into?! He had the passing thought that maybe it was somebody else on the plane fucking with him, and he looked around for about the tenth time. And MB? Most definitely not the initials of Garroway, the pilot he saw before. Must’ve been the pilot he hadn’t been able to get a good look at when he boarded.

He didn’t have time to go too far down that rabbit hole of thought, because just then a voice filled the cabin. This one was very different than Captain Garroway’s and it got Alec’s full attention, to say the least.

“Good evening, lovely passengers, this is Captain Bane speaking.”

This voice sent a shiver down his spine and made every nerve ending wake up and take notice. It was a voice of pure silk that made Alec think of skin on skin, of dark passionate nights, of hushed whispers between sloppy kisses.

He was absolutely reeling at the realization that “MB” from Grindr was also Captain Bane, the pilot of this airplane, a man whose voice alone stimulated every cell in Alec’s body. He was thoroughly fucked for the duration of this flight and he couldn’t even find it in himself to be mad about it.

“We are now cruising along at an altitude of 30,000 feet. You may use any larger electronic devices you have at this time, on airplane mode, of course. I’m very good at what I do, but I’d prefer a smooth and easy ride tonight.”

Alec pursed his lips to contain his disbelieving laugh, his eyes wide.

“Please also feel free to take your seatbelt off if you need to move around the cabin, but be sure to put it back on anytime you’re in your seat. This is just a precaution in case of unexpected turbulence, or in the event I jerk my stick a little too hard.”

The passengers around him chuckled at the joke, but Alec thought that there was no possible way in hell any of them could be as affected by those words as he was. This was an unbelievable turn of events.

“My darling flight attendants will be doing drink service soon, and I’d like to ask you to be patient and enjoy whatever quenches your thirst. Please exercise self-control, though, as this is a long flight for all of us. Also, just a reminder that any long arms or long legs that are taking up aisle space, are most definitely at risk of being taken out by Clary and her cart, and need to be tucked safely in your seat. Thank you very much and enjoy the ride to Rome.”

This man. Holy. Fucking. Shit. He needed a drink from Clary and her cart ASAP.

He stared at his phone and that last message. It was clearly his move now, and considering how buzzed he was from the announcements alone, he wanted to make it a good one. He decided he very much wanted to play this game.

Aren’t there rules about texting and flying?

You are in very capable hands. I wasn’t joking when I said I’m good at what I do.

In all seriousness though, my co-pilot is doing all the heavy lifting at the moment, but if this makes you nervous, I’ll stop. I like to keep my customers happy.

Don’t stop.

I’m not worried.

Good. Tell me something?

Ask away.

What takes you to Rome?

My little sister’s impromptu wedding.

Scandalous. Have you met her other half?

Oh, yeah. They’ve been together for a while. The engagement isn’t that surprising, and, really, the quick wedding isn’t either if you know my family. She’s avoiding a lot of drama. I can’t really blame her.

Ah, family drama, ever delightful.

Unfortunately there’s no shortage of it with mine.

How long are you staying in Rome for the wedding?

Just a few days.

It’s an absolutely beautiful city. I can make some recommendations if you’d like……

That would be great.

Perky red rolled up to him with her cart, pulling his focus away from the conversation. He reluctantly placed the phone face down on his tray and tried to not look impatient as he got his wallet with his card out of his bag. She asked the couple next to him what they wanted, and Alec dutifully passed a soda and a red wine over. She ignored his debit card and poured a whiskey on the rocks, probably the most expensive they had on board, and handed it over to him. His confusion must have shown on his face because she winked at him and pointed to the front of the plane. It took a couple seconds for him to get it and then he glanced to his side to be sure the people next to him weren’t paying attention.

“Oh, uh, thanks,“ he whispered, and immediately felt like a moron.

“No problem. If you need anything else at all, just let me know. I’ll be back around for meal orders in just a little bit.”

Alec took a big sip of his drink. It was easily twice the size of the drinks you normally received on a plane and he felt a little guilty that he hadn’t even paid for it. He resisted the urge to look around and see if anyone had noticed his special treatment.

He checked his phone as soon as he felt relaxed from the warmth that had burned its way down his chest. There were no new messages, but he decided that sending him a drink was a pretty loud and clear message of its own and he started typing.

So, now you are flying a plane, texting, AND buying me a drink?! Show off.

Is that a thank you?

Of course. How did you even know where I was sitting?

Well, you see, there are these things called ‘Flight Manifests’ and pilots receive one for every flight. Although I must admit I’ve never found one quite as useful as I do now.

By the way, who uses their real name for a Grindr profile??

People who want their pilots to send them free booze.

Ah. Well, your grand scheme is working out quite nicely then, I’d say.

Seriously though, thank you for the drink.

You’re most welcome, Alexander. (So useful, that manifest)

Nobody calls me that except for my mother when she’s angry with me.

Would you rather I not?

No….you can.

Good, because I’m fond of it.

Speaking of things I’m fond of, Clary tells me that your "longest legs ever” have no business at all being in coach.

Ah, well, you can blame my sister and her last minute plans for that.

Wait, do you have everyone spying on me?!

Not everyone, just Clary, I suppose. Though, to be fair, she mentioned your legs before I had her bring you a drink. Seems “tall, dark, and handsome” appeals to all genders.

I’m going to need more alcohol if you’re going to keep saying things like that.

I’ll let Clary know the gorgeous man with mile long legs in C36 needs another drink soon.

I’m actually blushing.

I’d give my Louis luggage to see that for myself.

I don’t do selfies.

Really? Not even for the man who tried to get you a seat in First class?

It was all booked. I checked.

Yes, it is. But I tried to offer someone top shelf alcohol for the duration of the flight to switch with you.

YOU DIDN’T. Please tell me you didn’t.

Doesn’t matter. It didn’t work anyway. Please pass my apologies onto your legs.

No.

No?

No. If you have a message for my legs, you’ll have to deliver it yourself.

Do you really think it’s wise to cause a rise in the heart rate of the pilot who is flying your plane?

My bad. Pass my apologies onto your heart?

If I have to deliver messages in person, then you do as well.

Can you put the pedal to the floor? Get us on the ground any faster?

Do you know anything at all about airplanes?

No, but you could teach me.

With pleasure.

Lkkdfskhdkhsdfkhd.

Did he really send a keysmash? He did. He did that, as eloquent as ever. Slightly mortified, he waited to be teased for it. When no message came through, he checked his Wi-Fi connection, then his watch, and finally scrolled through his playlist and chose some music, trying to busy himself with something other than shamelessly flirting with the man currently keeping them alive way above the surface of the earth. He was probably very busy at the moment and Alec had to get a grip, especially since they were only an hour and a half into the flight.

By the time the dinner cart went through an hour later, Alec had returned a few more emails, done his budget for the month, organized all the photos in his gallery, and archived all the files on his phone that he didn’t need anymore. He also might have checked Grindr for new messages about twenty times, so he was more than a little ready for that second drink.

This time the other attendant came through, the one with the darker skin and curly hair. She was just as helpful and nice as Clary, but much less hyper, and Alec found that she had a way about her that he liked. With a knowing smile she served him up the same drink as before. She didn’t even try to tell him where it came from, which he appreciated, because at this point he was more than a little self conscious that the entire staff seemed to know the pilot was sending him things.

She took his dinner order and returned twenty minutes later with what could only amount to two standard airline meals and yet another glass of amber liquid. This one was smaller and accompanied by a bottle of water. He didn’t miss how she took his credit card and made herself look busy, before handing it back without actually swiping it. He gave her a genuine smile, very much appreciating her discretion and she patted his shoulder as she went by.

He usually didn’t like to be touched by people, let alone strangers, reserving his physical affection for his family alone. Maybe it was the alcohol warming his veins or the fact that he was currently being lavished with gifts, but he found that the small touch made him happy.

Eventually, he was relaxed enough that he felt like he may actually be able to sleep, but he still declined a pillow and blanket when they came through passing them out to everyone. There was no way he was going to be able to get that comfortable around this many strangers. He made a quick trip to the restroom and stopped in the aisle to stretch his legs and torso as much as he could in the tight space, before regrettably sliding back into his seat. He knocked back the last bit of his drink and followed it with the water, before sliding his tray back up and settling in. His phone buzzed on his leg.

How was dinner?

Pretty good, actually. I think I owe you a few hundred dollars at this point.

Nonsense, it was my pleasure.

Thank you.

Is it sad that this is probably better than any date I’ve ever had?

That’s only because you haven’t been on a proper date with me ; )

Or because I’m bad at the whole dating thing. (Did you just winky face me?)

I think, given the right company, you’d do better than you think. (Yes, yes I did.)

Hah. A high compliment.

How about this for a compliment…….You really need to warn my staff before you go stretching in the aisle, again. Nobody benefits from a passed out crew.

Who told you about that?

Oh, just a little conversation between Clary and Maia.

Ugh.

I like Maia.

AND DON’T YOU HAVE A PLANE TO FLY?!

Shhhhhhhhh. I’m a professional, remember?

And I figured you would. She likes you, too.

Nobody likes me.

That’s very much not true. I happen to have it on good authority that just a small little sliver of your stomach can cause an impressive stir.

Please stop.

Are you blushing again?

I’m not sending you a selfie.

What if I pout?

Don’t do that. I’ll be forced to take one and then I’ll die of embarrassment. Nobody needs that.

*Sighs* I rather like you living, so I’ll give you a pass this time.

So generous.

You have no idea how generous I can be.

You can’t just keep saying things like that to me.

Why not? I’m just trying to give you “sweet dreams” material.

That might be the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.

Did it make you smile?

Maybe……

Yes.

Good. Regrettably, I have to go do the heavy lifting now. I’ll leave you to sleep.

Sleep. Sure. Easy. No problem.

Goodnight, Alexander.

Surprisingly, sleep came easier than he ever could have imagined it would, given the situation, which made him thankful for the food, booze, and the exhaustion that came with being up for almost twenty-four hours straight. He drifted off replaying the messages from Captain Bane in his head over and over and a relaxed smile on his face.

Alec woke with a start when the man in his row slid their window shade all the way up. He squinted against the bright sun, a clear indication that he slept longer than just a few hours. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and tried to blink the sleep from them. When he looked around he saw that a few people were still sleeping, but most were awake and talking quietly, with various drinks and snacks. It seemed he had slept through the beverage cart and probably some announcements, and he imagined that they had to be pretty close to landing in Rome.

He hit his knee on something and looked down to see that someone had lowered his tray and placed a lidded cup of coffee, a bottle of water and a blueberry muffin on it. That’s when it all came back to him. He scrambled around in his lap to find his phone, dropping it on the floor in his haste. He leaned down in the tight space to get it and hit his head on the seatback in front of him. “Shit!”

He glanced at his seatmates and said a quick, “Sorry,” for cursing and causing a ruckus, but didn’t pay attention to them long enough to see their reactions. He had much better things to do.

He managed to fish his phone off the floor and quickly straightened, sliding down his notifications with impressive speed and selecting the one he wanted.

Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. If you need anything else, let me know.

Alec grinned and took a big gulp of his coffee before replying. He needed to wake up fast.

You are a gift, you know that?

Does that mean you’re going to eagerly unwrap me?

It’s too early for sentences like that.

It’s never too early for sentences like that.

How long until we land?

An hour and seventeen minutes.

Aren’t you getting tired?

I’m used to it, darling. Don’t worry about me.

Darling. He actively tried to keep a stupid smile from taking over his face. An hour. An hour until he exited this plane…..through the front of the plane. The front of the plane where this man currently was. Fuck. He needed a lot more coffee, a toothbrush, and a mirror STAT. He looked down at his crumpled t-shirt and jogging pants and swore under his breath. Truthfully, Alec wasn’t even sure he would be seeing him in person when they landed. He hadn’t seen him when they boarded, and so maybe it would be a repeat of that. That thought was too disappointing for him though, so he pushed it away and set about righting himself, just in case.

He drank his coffee down as quickly as he could without burning his mouth. Then he wrapped his muffin up in the package and put it in his backpack, knowing there was no way his nervous early morning stomach would tolerate it. He grabbed his toiletry bag and rushed to the bathroom before the imminent announcement that they had to stay in their seats.

Once he was folded in the cramped space, he brushed his teeth and thanked God for his recent haircut in preparation for the wedding. He spent a few minutes mussing his hair up with his fingers and a bit of water before deciding it was about as good as it was going to get. He ran his hand over his face and decided the scruff there wasn’t too bad, not bad enough to shave in an airplane bathroom, at least.

He started to stretch and then abruptly stopped, self-conscious that people would notice and he’d be the subject of mile-high gossip once again. He returned to his seat feeling a bit more human and a lot more nervous.

Clary came walking down the aisle with purpose, smiled way too brightly at him for 7 a.m. and handed him a folded up slip of paper. He hesitantly took it with a polite, “Thanks,” and immediately opened it and read the elegant script.

Meet me up front, if you want , after everyone else has deplaned.

~M.

If you want. He wasn’t sure he had ever wanted anything so much in his life.

Captain Garroway came over the intercom to let them know they were beginning their descent and Alec didn’t comprehend any of it. He put his seatbelt on when others around him did and tried to stop bouncing his leg nervously. Maybe he had a little too much coffee.

Ten minutes later they landed in Rome without incident, and Alec unbuckled his seatbelt and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Why the hell was he so nervous? He watched as the other passengers gathered their belongings and exited at an agonizingly slow pace. Twice he got up and helped someone get a bag out of the compartment to hurry the process along. He tried really fucking hard to not compare the man across from him to a sloth, like a total asshole. Finally, when it got to his row he stood up and let the man and woman go by him.

Once they had their stuff gathered, the woman unexpectedly turned to Alec and said, “I just have to know, are you some kind of celebrity or something?”

Alec balked.

The man with her looked shocked as he nudged her. “Jules!”

She shrugged. “What? It’s kind of obvious.” She turned back to Alec. “Which movies are you in?”

Alec huffed out a laugh, “What? No…”

He was relieved when her boyfriend tugged her along even if he was kind of amused at the last disbelieving look she shot him.

The last few rows went by without any more accusations of stardom, which Alec was very grateful for, and then Clary passed by him last, with a wink and a little wave. He groaned out loud and didn’t even feel bad for it.

There was movement at the front of the plane from the crew and he forced himself to not focus on any of it, but instead he pulled his suitcase out of the overhead bin and threw his backpack over his shoulder. He started walking.

It all became too real when he saw Clary and Maia exit the plane behind the passengers. That wasn’t normal, was it? That definitely wasn’t normal. Jesus Christ, his heart was going to beat out of his chest. He got to first class and the other pilot, Garroway, was standing there in front of the cockpit door, his bag in hand. He shot Alec a smug, crooked smile and left the plane without a word.

And then there he stood.

There he stood looking way more beautiful than anyone who had been working all night had any right to. His eyes were bright and kohl-rimmed, his features strong and beautiful even as he nervously rubbed the fingers of his left hand together. He really was a kind of perfect that Alec hadn’t even realized existed. He wanted to devour him.

Alec watched, a little stunned, as he stepped forward. Then, he tilted his head up in a challenge and parted his lips, and that was all it took.

Alec abandoned his luggage right there in the aisle and went to him. He reached out with both hands, pressing one hand to his hip and grabbing his shirt with the other, pulling him into him. He kissed him hard, already drowning in the scent of him, the feel of him.

They started stumbling backward, and Alec realized that he was throwing his weight around too much, but fucking hell, he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t even think as he pressed their lips together over and over. He wanted it hard and fast, soft and slow, any and every way he could have him.

They stumbled through the door and into the back of the captain’s chair with an “oomph” and Alec opened his eyes briefly to drink him in.

“Alec,” he said, his breath hot on Alec’s lips, eyes still closed.

“Magnus,” Alec said, stepping into him even more, closing the tiniest bit of space that was left between them. “Fuck, I missed you.”

Magnus opened his eyes and smiled at him. “Yes, I can feel that,” he said, rolling his hips against Alec’s.

“You haven’t felt anything yet,” Alec said, his voice gruff.

Magnus slid a hand between them, “Oh, this isn’t just anything,” he said, rubbing fingers down Alec’s length through his pants. He curled them under the waistband and tugged, causing Alec to go from half-hard to fully erect in no time flat. “I like these pants…….a lot.”

Alec rubbed circles on Magnus’ ribcage with his thumb to distract himself so he could manage to speak a coherent sentence. “They’re perfect for long flights.”

He nearly whimpered when Magnus retracted his hand, but somehow still managed to narrow his eyes at him. “Speaking of long flights,” he said, “I’m supposed to be mad at you.”

Magnus smiled at him. “Oh, really? Whatever did I do?”

At that moment he realized how much he had missed that. His smile, his cunning wit, the elegance with which he spoke, his humor. All of it. He had missed all of Magnus. Desperately. He couldn’t believe he even considered the notion that anyone he met on a hookup app would be enough.

He stepped back a little bit, trying to be serious, but he didn’t remove his hands from Magnus’ waist, because he wasn’t planning on going far, maybe ever. “Well, you were in the city where I live and you didn’t even call me,” he accused, trying not to sound too desperate and probably failing miserably.

Magnus’ eyes twinkled with mischief, which should have prepared Alec for what came next, but before he knew it Magnus had changed their positions, and Alec was being pushed back against the chair, with Magnus pressing up against him, chest to hip. He leaned in and whispered in Alec’s ear, “Mmmmmm, well, if you needed me to dick you down, all you had to do was say something.” He nibbled gently at his earlobe and Alec almost forgot how to move air.

Fucking hell, if that didn’t make him damn near want to beg. “This is me saying something.”

Magnus kissed his neck ever so lightly, which sent shivers all the way down his body. “Hmmmm, what exactly are you saying, darling?”

“Magnus,” he said, exasperated and damn near floating with desire. Or lack of oxygen. Probably both.

“Alexander,” he practically purred back.

That was the first time Alec had ever heard him say his full name and he hoped it wasn’t even close to the last time. He actually fucking whimpered, and that was when he decided this wasn’t the time to be stubborn. “I need you to dick me down,” he admitted, snaking a hand up and grabbing Magnus’ hair. He pulled his head back and away from his neck to get back some control, instead kissing him deeply, sliding his tongue into his mouth and languidly tasting him.

Magnus moaned into his mouth and returned the kiss with equal intensity, before pulling away to answer him, grinding their hips together once more for good measure.

“With pleasure, if you promise to put that beautiful mouth of yours to good use.”

Alec’s whole body was singing at that promise. “Deal.” He looked around, thinking of logistics for all the things they were about to do, and then he was snapped back into the reality of exactly where they were.

“You’re a pilot,” he said, matter of fact, even if a little breathless.

“I am.” Magnus smiled. “Are you impressed?”

“Very, but what else is new?” Alec answered.

Magnus laughed, “I have to admit this is turning out most favorable for me as well.”

Alec looked around, “How long before you have to fly out again?”

Magnus said, “A couple of days…ish.”

“Ish?” Alec asked.

“That’s what I said.”

“Can you come to my hotel later?” Alec asked.

Magnus bit his bottom lip, then grinned. “You aren’t even a little tempted to do it right here, Alec? It is a Cock-pit, after all. It’s right there in the name,” he whispered.

Alec smiled, “Wow.” Honestly, fuck him for being so sexy while delivering such outrageous lines.

Magnus laughed deeply, and Alec ran a large hand down his chest and pulled his shirt down to kiss what he could of his collar bone. “Believe me, I’m very, very tempted, but I want to get you completely naked, lay you out on a bed, and take my time with you. I’ve had enough of cramped spaces for a while.”

“How could I possibly argue with that logic?” Magnus asked.

“You can’t,” Alec said.

“Text me your hotel information and give me a couple of hours?” Magnus asked.

The “couple of hours” part had him rethinking the whole “fucking in the cockpit of this plane” business, but he pushed away from Magnus with Herculean effort and placed one last and lingering kiss to his lips.

Alec forced himself to go back into the plane to collect his belongings, feeling Magnus’ eyes on him the whole way. When he passed by him again, Magnus was leaning against the door, a knowing smirk on his face.

Alec gestured to Magnus’ uniform. “Are you going to be wearing this when you stop by?” He couldn’t resist asking.

Magnus’ eyes crinkled with his smile. “Ooh, does someone have a kink?”

“Says the man who’s obsessed with my legs,” he countered, grinning back.

Magnus laughed, and Alec thought that it might very well be the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. “Get out of my airplane, Alexander.”

#asks #answers #ever-so-nice #this was so lovely #thank you #and im sorry for being such a damn hot mess #and when you soar #oh how i have to get to working on this #ive missed this version of them #fanfic #myfics #malec #malec au #pilot magnus #the one prompted by the twitter post of a pilot messaging someone on grindr

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books-on-the-brain · 7 years

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So I used to read a whole bunch, but then I took a small break so that I could have an actual social life. Now I'm trying to get back into it but I've tried to... I just can't get into it. Do you have any suggestions of what I could do to get back into wanting to read more?

bI relate to this SO. MUCH. It’s always hard to find a good reading/life balance, since reading can often be a very isolating activity. It’s also really difficult around this time of year for younger readers, too, since a lot of us are getting back into the swing of it with school and such and find that we have much less time to be reading what we want. So without further ado…

How I cure “reader’s block”/being in a book rut!!!

1) First of all, there’s literally no shame in reading something because it’s short and you know you can get through it, or reading something you might consider a “beach read.” If it’s less daunting for you to pick up a 70-page romance novella than Tolstoy that is perfectly!!! okay!!! What matters is that you’re still reading and it’s making you happy, not that you have gained all the answers to the universe by reading a dry and endless classic.

2) Another good option is to reread something you know you really love/want to revisit. I find it’s typically easier to read something for the second or third time and if it’s been a while, then you’ll still be surprised by little things here and there and get the warm nostalgia fuzzies. For me, one of my old favorites to revisit is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I always read it at the beginning of the summer when I’m switching from all academic reading to personal reading (f i n a l l y) because I’m familiar enough with the story that it goes pretty quickly, but I still really love it.

3) In a similar vein, I find it really fun when I don’t want to sit down and read seriously to go back to some of my old favorites from childhood! For example, I loved the Deltora books by Emily Rodda when I was a kid and had some fun the other day going back through some of them and reminiscing. It has the potential to remind you of your love for stories and also in my case, it reminded my why I fell in love with fantasy at a young age and why I’m still so passionate about it! Reading children’s/middle grade/YA books is always acceptable and so much fun at any age.

4) This Barnes and Noble Reader article also suggests reading about books if you can’t actually read a book. As they explain it, find book blogs (like those on tumblr!) that speak to your interests and get you excited about picking up books. Other people’s enthusiasm goes a long way in encouraging you to also pick up a book to read!

5) If you can, find other avid readers and friends who you feel comfortable sitting in silence with! One of my favorite memories ever is sitting on my friend’s back porch and trading the books of the KARE First Love manga series back and forth. We played peaceful music in the background and so we were spending time as friends AND getting reading done. This lead us to discuss our favorite scenes and how we felt about certain translations (literally just because we like how to guy asked the main girl out in the online scantalation better than the printed book rip). But we ended up really getting into this series that in all honesty is kind of silly (despite the soft spot I have in my heart for it) and we joke about it all the time. Reading and socializing in one!

6) And speaking of manga…it’s always a great bridge for getting back into reading when it’s been a while, as are graphic novels! If you haven’t ever tried manga or graphic novels and don’t think it’s your rap at least give them a chance! I thought I hated them until I read Fullmetal Alchemist and fell in l o v e! You’re getting a story and doing some reading, but the pictures really help to ease you in so that you’re not necessarily devoting the same attention that you would be with a novel that’s just pages of text. As such, each volume is pretty quick depending on how long you linger on the drawings. If you already do love manga/graphic novels, then try picking up a new series you’ve been interesting in or rereading a series you already know you like!

Here are some graphic novel recommendations!

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (a story that does a fun take on the idea of the “bad guy” - it actually gave me way more feels than expected, and I loved the art style)

The new Ms. Marvel series written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona (so do not confuse this with the old Ms. Marvel, this one is better in my opinion because our hero is your average teenage Muslim girl living in Jersey City and it’s refreshing, amazing, adds diversity to the typically white/male dominated world of superheroes, and I am unabashedly in love with one of the main characters, Bruno)

Umbrella Academy written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Ba (this does another more twisted/dark take on the idea of the superhero story, if that’s something more up your alley. It’s the first book of a series I’ve really been loving lately, plus I trust Gerard Way’s taste in comics unequivocally and he wrote it so that’s a yes in my book!)

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (the intertwining stories of an American-Chinese boy trying to figure out his place in the world and the Monkey King of Chinese fable)

I did not include a special section for manga recommendations because most of what I read is probably not the sort of stuff to dive into after having reader’s block. Overall, the realm of shoujo might be a good place to look (things like Skip Beat!, Blue Spring Ride, Fruits Basket, and Kimi ni Todoke. Ouran High School Host Club and Dengeki Daisy were ones I really enjoyed too.)I also recently read Orange which is a fairly short series and easy to read - I loved it but major depression/suicide/mental illness tws there.In terms of shonen, Hunter x Hunter would be a good one because not only is it amazing, but it’s broken up into shorter yet very distinct story arcs which I feel would be easier if you’re trying to get back into reading. If someone has some more recs tho, please add!

7) Another variation of manga/graphic novels is online webtoons, which are basically digitized comics. I have recently discovered them and think they’re the best. things. ever. If you’re like me and you have a horrible habit of lying in bed scrolling absently through your phone before going to bed and after waking up, this might be good for you. I have slowly been replacing my mindless Facebook scrolling with scrolling through webtoons, which has been so amazing for my mental health! My favorite app is literally just called Webtoon or maybe Line Webtoon (the icon in the app store is a green speech bubble that says “Webtoon”).

For most webtoons, chapters are generally pretty short so it doesn’t take a lot of focus but once again, you’re still reading, and you’re still getting a good story, all while laying fetal position like you might while scrolling through Facebook or texting people before bed. Not to mention you’re supporting amazingly talented artists/individuals who are oftentimes not published and doing this for fun or with the hopes of eventually being published, so you can say you followed them from the start! Also since they update only a few times a week, it gives you something to look forward to on random days.

Here are my favorite story-oriented webtoons currently:

Assassin Roommate by Monica Gallagher. Super cute and quirky romance with a great female lead, also really great in terms of body diversity, and LITERALLY THE ONLY REASON I LOOK FORWARD TO TUESDAYS, THE DREADFUL DAY AFTER MONDAY

My Dear Cold-Blooded King by limelight. Just started this but it seems pretty cool??? The author has paired up with a musician so all the chapters have music which is lit af if I do say so myself

Silk and Briar by paragoing-paragon. I think this is on hiatus but it’s shaping up to be a brilliantly-constructed fantasy story with some crazy twists and turns

instantmiso’s stuff is also really popular (Where Tangents Meet and Siren’s Lament). It’s not as much up my alley as it is pretty fluffy romance and I’m not crazy about the writing, but she is an incredibly talented artist and has great music with her chapters. Her stuff is super good for an easy read without a ton of brain power/commitment, but I say that with immense respect for her talent and abilities!

Cheese in the Trap by soonkki. This was also made into a K-Drama so I read the series and threw a little watch-party with some of my friends from my Korean class! Super good series and another great way to enjoy reading AND be social!

Here are the webtoons that are more “Sunday newspaper funnies” style, where each chapter is a mini story:

Bluechair by Shen (this is WILDLY popular and I totally see why!!! These are hilarious and have cheered me up on many a rough night!!!)

Sapphie: The One-Eyed Cat by joho (feel-good, cute comic about cats that’s also pretty funny. I shamelessly read like a hundred chapters in one sitting.)

If none of this is appealing to you, there is always the audio option! If the actual act of your eyes scanning the page is difficult because you can’t focus on anything, there are a lot of options in this realm!

8) Local libraries usually have an audiobook section that is deeply neglected, but holds some secret treasures! Whenever I go on roadtrips, I always pick up two or three before I head out. They’re also perfect for when you do mindless tasks like sorting/folding laundry, walking a dog if you have one, waiting in long lines, or on your commute to and from school or work or any other similar activities.

What’s cool is you can search for audiobooks based both on books you actually want to read, and whoever is narrating it. I know Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz had a super popular audiobook because Lin Manuel Miranda narrated it. If you want to pay, Audible is one of the most popular paid platforms for audiobooks. I haven’t personally used it, but it seems to be quite successful. One way or another, audiobooks are a good way to get back into reading without having to budget extra time to sit down with a book.

9) Podcasts can also help if you haven’t already explored those and are open to! Not all podcasts are TED talks, or political debates, or generally academic, or whatever they are stereotyped as. There are a ton that feel just like audiobooks, or at the very least like a play without any visuals. There’s a script and there’s a story and I know it’s helped me ease back into a mindset that preps me for reading because much like audiobooks you can listen to them all the time (I do so while cooking dinner and walking to classes) and it helps your mind switch from reality to the world of a story with relative ease if that makes sense. I’m pretty new to podcasts myself so don’t have a ton to recommend, but here’s what I’ve been enjoying….

Podcasts to look into:

Anything written by Mac Rogers. That includes The Message, Afterlife, and Steal the Stars. Personally, I like Steal the Stars and The Message more that Afterlife. They’re all sci-fi stories that are generally told from one perspective but you get to know amazing characters and I was not expecting the twists and turns. And Steal the Stars is still coming out so jump on the bandwagon now lol

The Adventure Zone from Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy at My Brother, My Brother and Me (another podcast which I have not listened to). The Adventure Zone is actually them playing Dungeons and Dragons, but they’re funny as all get out (the last place I lived had a communal kitchen for dozens of people and I was always laughing like and idiot while listening to this and making dinner and I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was nuts). Eventually the Dungeon Master gets super into the story telling and they script some of it with cool music. It’s really amazing and has a nice balance between story/characters but also the element of “real people” as they’re a bunch of brothers and they’re dad all just having fun. It’s a good bridge to getting back into reading.

Welcome to Nightvale is always a classic. It’s a bit trippy for me but tons of people enjoy it. The same team also produced a podcast called Alice Isn’t Dead. I honestly know nothing about it but one of my friends always raves about it, so it has his vote!

10) And okay so here’s my last suggestion. It might feel like a bit of a cop-out because I guess it kind of is, but it often works for me. So here it is. Sometimes it just helps to sit down and remember why you like to read in the first place. The fact that you’re actively trying to get back into it isn’t meaningless. It’s a very willful decision. So what is driving you? Maybe it’s because…

reading is an escape or a way for you to cope with difficult things in your life. This can be anything from mental illness, to school/work stress, to relationship dissatisfaction, difficult family or economic situations. Maybe you just are bored of our planet earth. Sometimes you might just need to be transported into another world for whatever reason and that is totally okay.

or reading inspires you to live your best life. Maybe there’s some character in a book you love that you look up to and aspire to be. Remember that passion you had when you were first getting to know that character, and that sense of being understood or finding a role model. Maybe you want to go on an adventure as wild as that character went on and that’s your idea of living your best life. Whatever the reason is, this sort of inspiration is a powerful emotion that books make us feel and sometimes that’s also a good reason to reread a book that’s inspired you.

and I don’t know, maybe you’re a writer yourself and you draw inspiration from reading in that sense. The more you read, the more you learn about what sort of writing you like and don’t like, and you grow stronger in your craft. Good readers help make good writers (but also don’t take that to mean that if you happen to be a writer and you’ve been in a book rut for a long time that you own skills are waning. we all get in book ruts and that’s okay. maybe it’s time to seek out a new source of inspiration in a different genre or new writer)

or perhaps you simply love stories. Maybe you breathe stories like other people breathe air and you can’t imagine that side of you not existing. If you’re one of these people, that makes reader’s block twice as hard. But that doesn’t mean that if you’re not turning pages that you’re not absorbing stories. Take it slowly and ease back into it with things I already mentioned like podcasts and webtoons.

One way or another, you’ll find your way back. Maybe this post will spark something. Maybe it won’t, and it will take another few months for you to really feel gungho about reading again. That’s all okay. Take your time. Enjoy being with friends and other activities. Do what’s healthiest and what works best for you. And eventually you’ll get back to reading a ton. However it happens, I wish you the best of luck!

#ask #asks #amazingdanseptiplier #bookworm #book worm #reading #books #booklr #recommendations #book recs #readers block #advice #literature #podcasts #manga #graphic novels #audio books #my post #mine

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